Etihad Stadium

A stadium of many names and many important games, Etihad Stadium was built in 2000 after three years of construction. It is currently named for its sponsor Etihad and has previously been known as Telstra Dome and Colonial Stadium. It is located in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne.

Etihad Stadium is the headquarters of the AFL and it’s primary use is for AFL games, although it does sometimes host Twenty20 cricket and Melbourne Victory soccer matches. The first AFL game played at Etihad Stadium was between Essendon and Port Adelaide in Round 1 of the 2000 AFL season. Here a crowd of 43,012 saw Essendon win the inaugural match by 94 points.

In addition to its sporting fame, Etihad Stadium has also hosted music events and iconic performers. KISS performed here in February 2003 alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Other names such as Robbie Williams, AC/DC, U2, Bon Jovi, Eminem, and Coldplay have performed and impressed large audiences here over the years.